B R E A K
by Sorii
Summary: AU. The Generation of Miracles was the breakdancing crew that took Japan by storm, usurping Rakuzan. However, they mysteriously disbanded the day after claiming the title of Best Crew, only to suddenly reappear three years later in different crews. Separately, they aim to be the best crew in Japan once more - but one person stands in their way.
1. Chapter 1

Inspired by a breakdancing competition I attended a few weeks ago. This will be updated at my own leisure; it's an experimental, general fic. I've never written anything like this before, so forgive me for anything that's less than satisfactory. Please enjoy.

BREAK

Chapter 1

"Aaaand here they are! The crew that's taking Japan by storm, the six princes of breakdancing, the Generation of Miracles!"

Music blasted as the teens entered the room, cheers and applause roaring above the beats. Led by their leader, the red-haired Akashi Seijuuro, the others followed close behind him a V-formation.

To his right was Midorima Shintarou, the co-leader of the Generation of Miracles. The green-haired teen stood tall at 195cm, his ankles and hands bandaged as if he were recovering from an injury. He wore a tight-fitting dull green sweater with a collared shirt underneath along with a pair of khakis and worn grey Vans, scrutinizing the crowd through his thin black-rimmed glasses. Known for his accuracy and precision in his moves, not once had anyone ever seen him fumble or fall during a competition.

Directly across from Midorima, on Akashi's left, was Murasakibara Atsushi. Tall, lanky, and with a bored expression on his face, he lumbered across the floor like a gentle giant; yet all who had seen him dance knew he was far from such. His shoulder-length purple hair was tied back in a casual ponytail, and he had on a loose grey tank top and black Adidas track pants paired with black high-top Converses. Murasakibara may have easily been the tallest member of the Generation of Miracles, but don't let his huge stature fool you – he could pull off power moves as easily as breathing. Anything that required strength, Murasakibara excelled at.

Behind him was the pretty-boy of the group, Kise Ryouta. With a black vest that rested on top of a plain white t-shirt and a comfy pair of jeans and red low-top Converses, he rocked the casual look. It wasn't surprising that most of the girls were screaming their lungs out for the blond either, since he was also a part-time model. Flashing them his signature million dollar smile, he waved to the crowd, causing some of the more dedicated fan girls to swoon. Now, Kise's specialty was rather peculiar – you see, he could copy moves. This was especially useful in competitions, where he could watch the opponent perform beforehand and easily reproduce it – better, of course – within the next round.

Behind Midorima was Aomine Daiki, the "bad boy" of the crew. With short, cropped blue hair, his tan skin and perpetual scowl on his face made him look rather intimidating. He had on a dark blue dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, with a loose black tie looped around his neck. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his grey jeans, and he wore a pair of blue limited edition Air Jordans – rumor had it that he played basketball in his free time on top of breakdancing. The thing with Aomine was that he probably had the most unusual form of breakdancing out of all of them. While the rest of the group learned in a room practicing diligently, Aomine was out on the streets breaking with other dancers. Out of the six of them, he was the one who was most used to competitions. Not only was his style unorthodox, his moves were sudden and unexpected and that made him the wild card of the Generation of Miracles.

Today's competition was a classic 3v3 – one round, three men. A cash prize of 100,000 yen, and the title of best crew in Japan. There was a lot at stake here, but despite the pressure, the Generation of Miracles remained cool and calm.

As they entered the center stage, the group began discussing who they should choose to go in. Their opponent, Rakuzan, seemed to have already decided their line-up, as they stood on the other side waiting impatiently.

"Akashi-cchi, can I go? Please, please, pleaseeee?" Kise begged, whining to their leader. With a nod of approval, Kise pumped his fist in the air and whooped in joy. "Yeeees!" He exclaimed excitedly. "I've been meaning to try out this new move and this is the perfect chance!"

Akashi then turned to the blue-haired teen, and with a flick of his head, Aomine sighed exasperatedly. "Really, Akashi?" he grumbled, scratching the back of his head. "They're just small fry…" but he stepped up nonetheless. After all, none of them could oppose their king.

Then it came time to choose their third and final man. Akashi's heterochromatic eyes met with icy blue ones hidden in the back behind the rest of the members. "Tetsuya. You go." No one said anything, but stepped aside to make room for their sixth member. Out of all the members, Kuroko Tetsuya was dressed the most plainly, with a plain white t-shirt and a pair of blue and grey and blue striped gym shorts. He had matching sweatbands around his wrist and a pair of white Nikes.

The MC tapped his microphone to get everyone's attention, the _thump thump thump_ indicating that the round was about to start soon. On the other side of the stage, Rakuzan had chosen their three: Eikichi Nebuya, Kotarou Hayama, and Reo Mibuchi. They were famously known as three of the five Uncrowned Generals of the last generation, three years older than the current Generation of Miracles. They headed what was currently the best breakdancing crew in Japan.

Aomine smirked. It looked like Rakuzan wasn't taking any chances, pulling out all stops to show the Generation of Miracles that they could easily crush them. Well, he would show them not to mess with the younger generation.

Cracking his neck from side to side as well as his knuckles on both hands, Aomine stepped up first. "I can handle this," he muttered to Kise, who nodded. The blond was unusually serious, his face stoic as he stood next to his teammate. "All I need is one minute."

"You forget that a round is longer than that," Kise chirped, reminding him. "So make sure you last at least three minutes, Aomine-cchi!" The blue-haired rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he grumbled. "You think I couldn't handle a measly three minutes? Tch. I'm just saying that I don't need the full time to beat them. After all, the only one who can beat me is me." The crowd cheered as the music began, forming a natural circle for the boys to start dancing in.

"And here we are! The finals of Breaking Grounds! On the left we have the newbies who are taking Japan by storm, the Generation of Miracles!" Whoops and yells could be heard, cheering the multi-hued boys on. "On the right, we have the reigning champions of breakdancing, Rakuzan! Will they defeat the Generation of Miracles and hold onto their titles as kings, or will the new kids on the block snatch their title away from them? Prepare yourselves for the show of a lifetime!"

Aomine went up first, starting off with an elementary top rock before launching into his power moves. He transitioned flawlessly into a freeze before jumping back up with a kip and circling the ring they were in, simultaneously flipping off the opposing team. Fingers were snapped and shakes of heads from the opposing team were a few of the mixed reactions. Then suddenly Aomine fell to the ground – no, it was not a fall, it was a windmill. Using just his shoulders, he kicked his legs up in the air and spun his body around, his legs straight up and swirling around like a fan on high. The crowd went crazy, screaming and cheering for the impressive move. Finally, for his final move, he moved into an air flare, but at the highest speed he could muster. His body was a blur, he was moving so fast. He ended it with a head slide, stopping in front of Rakuzan's group. Jumping back up, he threw them a cocky grin before returning to his side.

The crowd screamed their approval, shouting for more. Rakuzan sent Eikichi into the fray. He was tall and muscular, with unusually tanned skin. His dark hair was buzzed with two stripes on either side of his head, along with a neat, short beard. He wore a white wife-beater and ripped blue jeans, along with old Adidas Gazelles. Spinning into action, the large teen literally spun his way across the floor, starting off with a power move – he dived into an immediate headspin, something not commonly seen as an opening move. The crowd cheered for this unusual turn of events, and the Generation of Miracles frowned. The unorthodox move was sure to impress the judges, but they didn't let them be fazed. His moves afterwards were mediocre at best, the impressive headspin at the beginning simply leaving everyone expecting more and not getting it. Finished, he returned back to Rakuzan, their faces stoic.

Next up was Kise. The model smiled, cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck before going into a generic top rock. His fangirls shrieked their glee from the sidelines, which only further fueled his ego. He smirked, flashing Rakuzan a devious grin before diving headfirst into a headspin. The crowd was shocked at the blatant copying of the move at first, but they soon cheered as Kise's headspin soon transformed from a simple headspin into one that lasted far longer than Eikichi's, flowing into flawless windmill. From that, he began to do hand hops, balancing his entire body on his right arm as he pushed himself off the ground with his hand and landed back on it a couple of times. Suddenly, a distinct, sharp voice rang out from behind him.

"Kise, that's it! That's enough!"

"Eh?" Kise panted in the middle of his move. He moved from his hand hop to an elbow hop instead, turning to face Akashi. "Now, Akashi-cchi?" He shouted over his labored breathing.

The crowd, confused, turned to look at the left, where the leader of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi, stood, his presence formidable and imposing. Aomine raised an eyebrow. The blond still had another minute to go. What was the red-haired teen talking about?

"Kuroko."

"Tetsu?" Aomine muttered quizzically. Before Aomine could realize what was happening, the sixth member of the Generation of Miracles had jumped into the middle of the floor, syncing with Kise perfectly. In awe, Aomine could only gape as Kuroko and Kise performed air flares around each other's bodies, their legs crossing over and under and in between. Both of the teens falling backward into a bridge, Kuroko threw his body over Kise's and landed in the same position. The crowd cheered louder than ever, astonished by such a feat. No one had heard of two people simultaneously dancing in a 3v3 – was this even allowed? Everyone loved it nonetheless, and when the two popped up with victory signs in front of their chests, the winner was obvious. Rakuzan didn't stand a chance.

The MC excitedly gripped his microphone as he yelled, "I don't believe it! The Generation of Miracles have crushed Rakuzan! It really is a miracle!" The crowd exploded one last time as they realized they had just witnessed the overthrowing of the kings of Japan – it was a time that would go down in history. Rakuzan, utterly destroyed by the Generation of Miracles.

Kise, overwhelmed with emotion, threw himself at his teammates, tears streaming down his face. Aomine, disgruntled but unsuccessfully holding back a grin, threw an arm around the blond, affectionately ruffling his hair. Kuroko smiled, and Midorima entered the circle holding a green frog penny pouch, offering his congratulations. Murasakibara approached him from behind munching on a bag of chips that he had seemingly gotten out of nowhere, and chastised Midorima for being so weird and congratulating his own team. Akashi, with his arms folded across his chest, stared on passively and nodded. Everyone's chest swelled; getting Akashi's approval was certainly one of the best perks of winning. It was truly a day to remember.

Yet, despite this win, no one understood why, the next day, the Generation of Miracles officially disbanded forever. It wouldn't be until three years later that the secret would be revealed, tears would be shed, betrayal would be discovered, and someone would quit breakdancing forever.


	2. Chapter 2

A really huge thank you to Ninja99, Ern Estine 13624, Lil' P 101, Kuruizaki-hime, christianneo12, Rasielis, PigeonWife, iivogelchen, hitomi65, animefan106, and Anonymous for reviewing. I think this is the most amount of reviews I've ever received for a single chapter. You guys are too kind.

Continuing on, I hope this is up to par; unfortunately, don't expect chapters to come out so fast (assuming you guys think this is fast...). I have most of the plot sorted out, just need to fill in the crevices. Please enjoy.

BREAK  
Chapter 2

Kagami Taiga was irritated. It wasn't like he had just broken up with a girlfriend, lost a job, or even that he had received a failing grade on a test (he was already used to those already, anyway). No, it was this incessant whispering. Wherever he went, people were talking about something called the "Generation of Miracles" and how they were "back," whatever the hell that meant.

Grunting, Kagami headed towards his favorite food place – Maji Burger. He had skipped his last class (Calculus I – pfft, who needs that?) in hopes of crashing at his friend's place for a quick nap before the competition later, but instead found a note on Himuro's door saying that he had gone out and would be back later. So, that left one Kagami Taiga left with nothing to do for the next three hours.

"Fifteen Maji Burgers," he ordered. The employees, already used to his presence and his unusual serving portion, prepared his food quickly; in no time, he was sitting at a table by himself with a pile of hamburgers in front of him, munching contentedly.

Or at least, he thought he was by himself. In the middle of chewing, he noticed that someone was sitting directly across from him…

Choking, he gasped for air as the stranger turned to face him. His blue eyes locked onto his own red ones, and he found himself a bit unnerved by the look in this man's eyes. They were dull, dead almost. Devoid of emotion.

Yet this bastard continued to sip on his shake like nothing was wrong. Instead, he stared at Kagami as if he were just any other person. A distinct empty slurping sound could be heard as the blue-haired man had reached the end of his drink. "Ah," he said, shaking the bottom and twisting the straw around in hopes of garnering another sip or two, but to no avail. "I guess I'm out."

"Oi, what the hell? Since when were you here?" Kagami nearly shouted at the stranger, pointing a finger accusingly.

"What are you talking about? I've been here the whole time," he responded, placing his now-empty drink on the table. He stood up. "Excuse me," he said, grabbing his cup off the table and walking to throw it away. Kagami leaned back in his seat, scrutinizing the man. Just who did he think he was?

It was then that, for some reason, Kagami looked down at his shoes. "Y-you!" He stammered, almost dropping his burger. The blue-haired stranger paused to look at Kagami.

"Yes?" he asked, seemingly oblivious. "Is there something you need?"

Kagami pointed at the floor, still shocked. "Your… your shoes! Where did you get them?!" They were worn down, black in color with white on the sole and tip as well as the laces. To a normal person, they were just another pair of shoes. "Aren't those the original Pro Keds that were popular back in 2005? They were supposed to be some of the greatest breakdancing shoes around but they stopped making them because their popularity went down once they switched out the rubber of the gum…"

The man's eyes widened in surprised. "Do you dance too?" He asked, his interest piqued.

Kagami smiled, his food forgotten. Shocking, as there was only one thing in the world he valued more than food. "Are you kidding? I live and breathe dancing!" he exclaimed. "I actually just got back from the States. Breakdancing is pretty big over there so I wasn't expecting much in Japan, but I guess I was wrong."

The man nodded. "Is that so," he said. Suddenly his eyebrows rose as if he had just remembered something. "Ah, by the way, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya." He bowed his head slightly. "It was nice to meet you…"

"Kagami," The red-head finished for him with a grin. "Kagami Taiga. If you're a dancer, I suppose I'll be seeing you real soon… on the dance floor, that is," he responded. A ghost of a smile crossed Kuroko's face before he turned away from Kagami and walked out of Maji Burger.

"I suppose you're right," he said quietly as he disappeared from Kagami's line of sight.

-x-

It was crowded. And noisy. And hot as hell. But Kagami Taiga loved it. He was in his comfort zone – the overwhelming familiarity of it was relaxing and made him almost feel at home. Himuro was by his side, wearing a white loose-fitting, long-sleeved, v-neck t-shirt paired with a pair of ripped jeans and white Nike Air Forces. Girls were whispering amongst themselves and pointing at the onyx-haired man, making it blatantly obvious they found him attractive.

Kagami growled in annoyance. The fan girls that followed his friend around were certainly a nuisance, but he wouldn't let that distract him tonight. Right now, all he wanted to do was dance. "Oi, Tatsuya," Kagami said loudly, trying to be heard over the immense volume of the crowd. "I'm gonna go over to the contestant's corner and get ready. You wanna come with?" After smiling and waving goodbye to another random girl who had given him her number, he nodded to his childhood friend.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, clapping a hand on Kagami's shoulder and leading him over to where the other competitors were.

The stage they were competing on today was a fairly informal one, as they usually are – a rectangle marked off, 20 x 30, with no one allowed inside except for people competing. A crowd had already formed around the perimeter, effectively sealing it off.

Kagami was dancing by himself today, and so was Himuro. Today was solo battles, so people were paired against each other and would advance through the rankings as they won. It was Kagami's first taste of b-boys in Japan, and he certainly had to admit that he was fired up. Around him he could see a slew of hopeful winners stretching their arms and doing the splits as warm-ups, including one familiar blue-headed person.

"Kuroko?" he said in surprise. Kuroko looked up from his stretching only to make eye contact with the man he had met just a few hours earlier. Now that Kagami had a proper look at Kuroko's body, though, he could hardly believe someone with such a small stature could actually dance. His legs were like sticks and although his arms certainly had some muscle to them, could they really hold his body up for a freeze?

His empty blue eyes bore into Kagami's own crimson ones. "Ah, it's you, Kagami-kun," he said monotonously. He wore a plain t-shirt with a pair of light blue sweatbands around wrists along with black and blue striped gym shorts. On his feet, he had swapped his Pro Keds from earlier for a pair of white Reebok Lifestyles with a zigzag design on the side and a blue interior. "I wasn't aware you were going to be dancing today."

"Well, I didn't know you were going to be dancing here today either!" Kagami retorted. "Are you competing or just spectating?" Kuroko shook his head.

"I'm neither competing nor spectating. I'm just here to dance," he said simply. Kagami nodded, though slightly disappointed. A competition wasn't only for people to compete and win; it was also for fellow breakdancers to congregate and show off newly invented moves, swap shoes/ideas and news, etc. Usually, to the sides there were mini-circles where people who weren't competing that day would often simply dance to their heart's content – that was what Kuroko was here for. It was a fine reason to come, because it was good experience for those who weren't ready for a real competition. "You're competing, right? Good luck, Kagami-kun."

Kagami grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. "Thanks! It's a shame you're not competing, I would have liked to see how good you are. I'll catch you later then, I guess." As Kuroko walked away, he wondered – why was Kuroko in the competitors' area if he wasn't competing today, then?

Suddenly, a scream came from the entrance of the building, followed by several more. Kagami swiveled his head to look at what all the commotion was, only to see a pretty-boy blond panting as he ran towards the competitors' area.

"Kyaa! Look, it's Kise-kun! He's soooo attractive!"

"Wasn't he on the cover of Vogue last week? Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I came!"

"I'd heard rumors he breakdanced, but I never thought they were actually true!"

"Kise's outfit is _so_ hot!"

Kagami had never seen the tall blond in his life, but it seemed that he was pretty famous around here, as people immediately began talking about "Kise Ryouta." At last, Kagami caved in and tapped a random person near him on the shoulder. "Oi," he said gruffly. "Who is this Kise Ryouta everyone's talking about?"

The guy looked at Kagami like he had two heads, such a bewildered look was on his face. "Kise Ryouta?" he echoed. "You don't know who he is? Where have you been?" After Kagami scowled at him, the man cowered and continued. "He's a former member of the Generation of Miracles from three years ago. He's also a model, which is why all the girls are going crazy over him," he man said, rolling his eyes at the latter comment. "There's a rumor going around that the members have come back, and I guess it's true. I'm really excited to see him dance again!" The man gushed, soundly disgustingly like a fan girl. Kagami gave the man a slightly disturbed look before thanking him and making his way back to where he was before.

Kise Ryouta was close now, talking and laughing with some of the other competitors. "Neh, Kise-kun, is it true you're coming back to dancing?" One of the competitors came up to him asking as he bumped fists with him. Kise flashed him a million dollar smile.

"I never left the scene to begin with," he replied with a mysterious smile. "I was just on the down-low." Kagami noticed that the blond didn't seem to be wearing the typical breakdancing attire, as his top was a white short-sleeved button-down shirt with three black horizontal stripes on the sleeves. He also wore a black skinny tie that he was currently tugging on and trying to make looser. He had on a pair of black slacks too – in fact, the only thing that indicated that he could possibly be breakdancing anytime soon was his shoes. He wore a pair of Jeremy Scott x Adidas JS Wings, "Black Patent" to be specific. Normally, the shoes would clash with the outfit but he pulled it off quite nicely, Kagami had to admit.

"Eh, Kise, isn't your outfit a little…?" One of his companions began, trailing off.

Kise looked down at his clothes before exclaiming, "Ah! I just rushed over from my modeling session, but don't worry, I can dance fine in these!" He popped his collar confidently and all the girls around him swooned.

Kagami rolled his eyes. Really? How pretentious could this guy get? He hated cocky bastards like him.

It was then he heard Kise say something that threw him for a loop: "Kuroko-cchi?"


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize for the long wait... I'm currently in the midst of finals (and had a lot of stuff taking up my time between my last update and now), so I'm lucky I managed to release this now. A very, very, warm thank you to ElenaLionward07, Sylvia-san, christianneo12, two Guests, Kuruizaki-hime, Rasielis, AspergianStoryteller, hitomi65, and animefan106 for reviewing.

Also, before anyone complains: yes, I inserted an OC. No, there will not be romance (or well, not a lot of it). I wanted to incorporate the OC as a foil in order to explore the depths of the darker side of human nature. Yes, I predict this fic will be quite dark in the future.

Please enjoy. Reviews are very much appreciated.

BREAK  
Chapter 3

Aomine yawned, stretching his arms and leaning against the back of his couch in his one-room apartment. Wearing only a black tank top and boxers, he grabbed the TV controller off the coffee table to his right and flipped on the television.

He had to admit, he'd grown complacent over the years. He spent his days going to class at the local university, lounging around in his home watching TV (like he was doing right now), and dancing. But the thing with dancing was that… well, he didn't enjoy it anymore. There was no thrill in it; it was boring. It became something he just used to kill free time – there was no passion, no love for it.

Aomine thought back to that fateful day three years ago. What if…?

A popular talk-variety show came on, and he saw a familiar face on the screen. It was a certain blond that he hadn't seen in a while... "And for today's special guest, we have the popular model everyone's been talking about, Kise Ryouta!" Aomine's former teammate walked in from the side of the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd as girls screamed their affection for him. He wore a pair of white fitted jeans with a beige jacket and a red scarf wound around his neck.

Kise had begun modeling before he joined the Generation of Miracles almost five years ago, but it seemed as though his popularity had exponentially increased through the years. Aomine had to admit he was somewhat surprised his former teammate was so famous now.

Did he still dance? Aomine idly wondered to himself. _Brr. Brr._ The vibration of his cellphone in his pocket jerked his attention away from the TV as he reached for his phone. Flipping it open, he had received a text from Satsuki. _Neh, Dai-chan! Are you watching TV? Ki-chan's on! _Aomine scoffed, closing his phone and tossing it on the unoccupied side of the couch. She was late.

Turning back to the TV, he realized he had chosen a good time to listen. "So, Kise," the host gushed excitedly. "Is it true you have a girlfriend?" It was some bubbly woman wearing a bright red dress with white cutouts on the side to make her figure look slender, with obviously dyed brown hair and equally obnoxious brown heels (what kind of woman wore brown heels?). Though, Aomine had to admit he enjoyed the view of her generous breasts.

The crowd immediately began buzzing with the news – was it true? Kise had a girlfriend?

"Ehhh," Kise began, smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you see…"

"Is it that ballet dancer? The rumored one you've been seen with?" The female host pressed, passing the microphone to the model. "The paparazzi have spotted you two together on more than one occasion. Kise Ryouta, the popular model who's stolen half of Japan's female population's hearts, and Japan's sweetheart, the adorable ballerina Michiko Saki! I've heard she's been scouted by both K-Ballet and Tokyo Ballet. Is it true?"

An image of the pair came on the large screen behind them, depicting Kise walking beside a woman of average height with black hair in a tight bun atop her head. He had on a brown fedora hat along with a dark grey cardigan over what seemed to be a silk mahogany button-down shirt. He matched the look with beige slacks. The woman beside him was wearing light pink ballet flats and black tights, with a loose white tank top falling to her thighs and an open grey cardigan. Black sunglasses obscured her face from view, though anyone who knew the ballerina could clearly tell it was her.

Kise looked bewildered for a second before recomposing himself. "Ah, um…" he began nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I… err, no comment." The crowd was in an uproar, as sobs and cries were elicited from all the women who had been vying for the blonde's love. "Saki-cchi is going to hate that this was discussed live," he said sheepishly, shrinking back into his seat ever so slightly.

"So it's true!" The host exclaimed. "You even refer to her by her first name! How long have you guys been dating? Where did you meet? How did you two fall in love?" She pressed, scooting towards the edge of her seat in excitement.

Kise put up his hands in defense. "Now, now," he said with a slightly stern tone. "I never confirmed that, and I really don't think Saki-cchi would be very happy with me if I said anymore. Can we change the subject now?" The host pouted and frowned but knew that if she kept pressing the subject there was a real chance that Kise's agency would hunt her and her company down, and she didn't want to deal with that.

"Alright," she conceded. "So recently, you—"

Aomine turned off the television, bored of the chatter. It wasn't like there was anything new there. He had known about the girl for a while now; he'd heard her name thrown around back in their high school days, but he knew for a fact they weren't dating. After all, she was still seeing that other guy – the male ballerina or something.

He snorted at the memory. Male ballerina… what was his name again?

_Brr. Brr._ Another text from Satsuki. Lazily reaching out, he once again flipped open his cellphone screen only to be met with a slew of emoticons and lots of squeals and exclamation marks. _DAI-CHAN! DID YOU KNOW KI-CHAN HAD A GIRLFRIEND?! WHAT IS THIS?! _It was followed by prattle of nonsense, which ended with, _Let's go get lunch later! You're not doing anything, right?_

If getting lunch with his childhood friend meant listening to her rave about Kise's supposed girlfriend, he decided that he'd rather not. Satsuki could get excessively annoying when she was on about something, even though he'd known her for years. _I'm busy,_ he texted back.

Aomine sighed. Maybe he'd grab something from the convenience store.

-x-

Kagami sat at his kitchen table, slurping ramen loudly and watching TV. It was a Saturday and he didn't have any plans; maybe he'd go to Himuro's for a bit? He had mentioned something about showing him around since Kagami hadn't had much of a chance to get to know the area, since he'd just returned from the States. Well, he'd text him later. Meanwhile, Kagami turned his attention back to his television set.

A variety show had just come on featuring the blond model, Kise Ryouta. His eyebrows raised in surprise. Normally the redhead wouldn't be interested in these kinds of things, but it was only because it was about the man he had battled last week that he was intrigued.

"So recently, you were spotted at a local breakdancing competition. Can you tell us more about this?" The female host asked, handing Kise the microphone.

He accepted it with a smile. "Of course! As you all probably already know, besides modeling, I breakdance in my free time," he said, crossing his legs. "I'd heard about the tournament from a friend and I thought it'd be fun to join and polish up on my skills. You can never get too much practice, you know."

"Weren't you part of the 'Generation of Miracles' a few years back?" The host asked. "Weren't they the top crew in Japan before they broke up? Can you elaborate on that?" All of a sudden, it was like a curtain of gloom had been thrown onto the entire set, and the crowd hushed like a child that had been scolded. Kise looked uncomfortable as he shifted around his seat, directing his gaze elsewhere and clearing his throat.

"…Um… there were a lot of circumstances," he began uncertainly, frowning. "That just caused us to disband. That's all." The host pouted. Not only had she not been able to glean any information about a potential lover, she had failed with eliciting information about his history as well. Today was just not her day.

Kagami turned off the television. If he wasn't going to get any other information about his new rival's past, then there was no point in watching any further; it was just a waste of his time.

He had finished his ramen. Getting up, he placed his dirty dishes in the sink and decided to head back to his room for a nap. Thinking back to the competition last week, it was almost ridiculous how well Kise danced. Kagami had to admit he was… surprised. However, he was also extremely excited for the future for the first time in years.

-x-

"Kuroko-cchi?" A surprised Kise exclaimed upon meeting the eyes of one Kuroko Tetsuya. The blue-haired dancer's expression, however, gave no indication of any such astonishment.

"Kise-kun," he replied, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "It's good to see you again. Are you here to compete?" Almost immediately, Kuroko's body was engulfed by the much taller Kise's frame in a smothering hug.

"KUROKO-CCHI!" Kise cried, dramatically rubbing his cheek against the top of Kuroko's head affectionately. "You're so cruel! It's is the first time we've seen each other in three years and this is how you greet me?!"

A buzz began in the crowd as spectators and competitors alike began whispering. Three years? Wasn't that the last time Kise had been seen in public with the Generation of Miracles? Does that mean this person was…

Kuroko cocked his head to the side. "Three years? But Kise-kun, didn't I just see you at the reunion—"

Kise hastily covered his friend's mouth with his hand. "E-eh? What are you talking about, Kuroko-cchi? What reunion? Eheheheh," he laughed nervously, though it was clearly forced.

Kagami snorted. Again with this talk of the "Generation of Miracles." Just what was so great about this group? Whoever and whatever they were, it didn't matter to him, since they hadn't been on the scene in three years. What was the all the excitement about some old group returning?

"I heard a rumor about a controversy that went on inside the group when they broke up," the redhead overheard someone gush. "I can't remember exactly what it was, though. Something about Akashi – remember, their leader? Man, that guy was creepy – talking to the judges beforehand about something…"

Controversy over some dude named Akashi talking to the judges? What was the problem with that?

"It's been a really long time since I've last seen anyone from the Generation of Miracles actually dancing in a competition, though," the same person continued. "I remember watching them three years ago, when I was new to the scene. They… they were absolutely mesmerizing. Those six members… they were on a totally different level. There wasn't a single group or person who could stand up to them."

Suddenly a horn blew, effectively silencing the crowd. "B-boys and b-girls! Spectators and competitors! Welcome to the 12th annual Tokyo Battle! Today's grand prize is 100,000 yen in cash! 1 v 1, winner takes all! Get ready!" Cheers erupted and people began moving in place, competitors into the corner and spectators finding good spots around the circle.

The next few hours were a blur. Kagami, Himuro, and Kise rose through the ranks quickly and easily, although Himuro was eliminated in the semifinals once he had been pitted against Kise. It seemed as though the former member of the Generation of Miracles wasn't simply called that just for show.

The finals were a dance-off between Kagami and Kise. Kagami grinned in anticipation at the prospect of finally getting to face off against the blond.

The circle was tighter than ever, and the crowd's roar surpassed even the booming beats. Kagami's heart rate quickened as adrenaline began pumping through his veins as he stretched at one end of the circle, cracking his neck from side to side. Opposite him, Kise smiled at the crowd as girls chanted his name over and over, waving. What a cocky bastard, Kagami thought to himself. Did he really think he could win so easily?

As the music started, Kagami jumped in the fray before Kise could react. He flipped, landing on his right hand and began a spinning one-handed handstand. Kise nodded in curious approval. That move certainly wasn't something that was seen very often. He transitioned roughly into a top rock before jumping back into another power move, an air flare. The crowd ooh'd and ahh'd until they were satisfied; Kagami grinned, speeding up his movements in sync with the music, but before he could get another move in the blond interrupted his dancing, jumping into the middle of the circle.

His movements were smooth, Kagami had to give him that as he retreated back to his spot. Much smoother than Kagami's. Shooting the redhead a devious grin, he went from a jackhammer to an air flare. Kagami, taken aback, was suddenly outraged. "Oi, what gives? He's totally doing the same moves as me!" he yelled, pointing indignantly at the blond. Himuro placed a hand on his shoulder, holding his friend back.

"Calm down, Taiga," he said calmly. "This is Kise's specialty. He copies the moves of his opponents and makes them his own." Kagami gritted his teeth in anger, tearing his shoulder away from his friend's grip as he attempted to contain himself. The rest of their battle continued similarly; whenever Kagami would break out a signature power move, Kise would simply copy it, but smoother and cleaner, which frustrated Kagami to no end. He loved dancing, but not when someone else just came and snatched up _his_ moves!

So naturally, when they announced Kise as the winner, Kagami blew up. "Oi, this bastard just did everything I did!" Kagami yelled at the judges, stomping up to their table and gripping the edge tightly. "How could you just let him win?!"

"Because he was better," one judge in the middle said. "He may have done the same moves as you, but Kagami, his movements were better. They were more fluid, more clean. Your dancing… you're like a diamond in the rough. You have potential, but you haven't yet reached it. Your dancing is jagged and free, but that wasn't enough to win you the grand prize."

Meanwhile, Kise was being flocked by girls clamoring to get his autograph and take pictures with , they formed a neat little line – surprising, considering they _were_ fangirls after all – patiently waiting their turn to get to him. After leaving the judge's table, Himuro tossed Kagami a bottle of water, which he immediately unscrewed the cap to and downed in one gulf.

"Thanks," he said gruffly, wiping the excess water that dribble out of his mouth with the back of his hand. "I needed that. God damn bastard." Himuro said nothing, simply walking up to Kagami.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind Kagami. "That was a good battle, Kagami-kun." Kagami, who had been drinking the rest of his water, spit it out unceremoniously upon hearing the voice.

"PUWAH! Eh?! Kuroko?! Since when were you here?!" he said in surprise. Kuroko was holding a bottle of juice in one hand, panting slightly having just been done with a circle of his own.

"I've been here the whole time," he said simply. Kagami groaned, burying his face in his hand in exasperation.

"Then speak up next time, will ya?" he grumbled. With the plastic bottle of water now empty, he crumpled it with his hand before tossing it into a nearby trash can. "How'd your circle go?"

Kuroko looked up at Kagami. "It was fine, thank you," he said politely. "You shouldn't feel bad about losing to Kise, Kagami-kun. He was part of the Generation of Miracles, after all."

"Ah, that's good to hear," Kagami replied. "By the way, what was up with you and that Kise guy? How do you two know each other?"

"We used to be on the same team a few years ago," Kuroko said. "Former teammates."

Suddenly it clicked in Kagami's head. How he hadn't realized it before… "Wait, you mean you were part of the Generation of Miracles?!" he burst out, taking a step back in shock. This pipsqueak?! He was skin and bones! Did he even have the stamina to last a minute?

A hand was placed over his mouth immediately afterwards, followed by Kuroko giving him a stern look and placing a finger to his mouth. "Kagami-kun, you're attracting unnecessary attention," he scolded. Kagami merely tch'd in response.

"Attention my ass. It's all focused on pretty-boy winner over there," he muttered, casting a dirty look in the direction of Kise. He was surprised to see the crowd had mostly dissipated around the blond, though; most people were just doing their own things and packing up, now that the competition had ended. However, Kise was still there… with some unknown woman beside him.

She was short, and pretty, he supposed. Nothing really special. She wore jean shorts matched with a white cardigan thrown over a grey tank top, with a light blue summer scarf wound around her neck. Her dark hair was tied in a messy bun at the nape of her neck, and she spoke calmly with Kise. He had to admit he was surprised the pair weren't attracting more attention. At one point, she pulled out a drink from her bag and handed it to the blond, which he gratefully accepted. She laughed, and said something that caused Kise to smile. It was strange, watching the two of them. They acted like they were…

"They're not dating," Kuroko's voice cut into his thoughts. "They're just friends. Michiko-san hates when people think otherwise."

"I wasn't thinking that," Kagami denied, huffing and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Himuro just shook his head. Sometimes Kagami could be so childish.

"Hey, let's just go home for the day. Let's go get ramen. My treat?" Himuro said. He then turned to Kuroko. "You're invited too, if you would like."

Kuroko merely shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I have somewhere I need to be," he said. Facing Kagami once more, Kuroko said, "Kagami-kun. I just wanted to let you know… that your dancing certainly surprised me. You… may have the potential to surpass the Generation of Miracles. Not at your current state, however," he added quickly upon seeing Kagami's excited expression. "But there is certainly potential in your dancing. If you would like, there is a workshop that I often go to hosted by Seirin University once a week. You should come if you have time. It's on Wednesday at 3:30pm, in the main gymnasium." Bowing slightly, Kuroko said, "I'm sorry, but I have to be going now, or I'll be late for my appointment." Nodding a farewell, he jogged back to where he came from, disappearing into the crowd.

Kagami scratched the back of his head. That Kuroko was a strange one. Well, whatever.

As the pair exited the building, they passed by a man seemingly around their age with bright red hair similar to Kagami's, but he stood almost a head shorter. He was going the opposite way, entering rather than exiting even though the competition had already ended. As their paths crossed, Kagami couldn't help but get goosebumps on his arms – was it chilly outside or something?

Shivering slightly, he didn't notice when one Akashi Seijuurou had paused in his steps to turn around and watch Kagami's retreating form.


	4. Chapter 4

Many apologies for the lateness & shortness of this chapter and the lack of development - a result of laziness and slight writer's block. I really do not deserve all the reviews you've all given me, honestly. A huge, huge thanks to lostonearth, Sylvia-san, Neko11Tama10, Kaneyi Unomie, Idle-Riddle, hitomi65, Rasielis, ElenaLionward07, Azusa Inoue, and animefan106. I hope you all continue to read support me in the future.

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Chapter 4

By the time Aomine Daiki had changed into a somewhat presentable outfit, it was already 2:00 in the afternoon and he was starving. Maybe he shouldn't have slept in as late as he did. Scratching the back of his head and yawning, he pulled the hood of his purple sweater over his head, shoving his hands deep into the pockets. It hung loose over his body, unzipped and revealing a white wife-beater underneath. A pair of comfy jeans slouched around his waist. Grabbing his wallet, phone, and keys off the kitchen table, he headed out.

Despite being July, the weather today was mildly chilly. Maybe it was because it had just rained yesterday? It was a cool 20 degrees Celsius, far colder than usual around Tokyo this time of the year.

Aomine spun his keys around his index finger absentmindedly. As he entered the convenience store, he headed for his usual section first – the gravure magazines. Picking one up, he noticed there was a new edition featuring Horihata Mai. Grinning as he flipped through the pages, he decided to buy it, tucking it under his arm. Walking over to the refrigerated section, he grabbed a few onigiri off the shelf and headed toward the counter.

The cashier, a pimply college student, asked in broken Japanese if Aomine wanted his onigiri heated up. The blue-haired teen grunted an affirmation in response and took out his wallet to pay for his purchases. Must've been a foreign exchange student since their Japanese was so weird.

Taking the plastic bag in one hand and walking out of the store, he reached in and grabbed one of the onigiris he had just bought, opening the wrapper and devouring half of it in one bite. While he was deciding on what to do for the rest of his day, the sky darkened. Scowling, Aomine pulled up his hood over his head – he hadn't thought to bring an umbrella because he hadn't expected it to rain since it had just rained yesterday. Finishing off his onigiri, he threw the wrapper away in a nearby trash bin.

Somehow, his aimless ambling had brought him to the nearby park. The thunder was rolling in from the west and thus the people who were in the vicinity earlier had quickly vacated in favor of staying dry. Aomine, though, had nothing better to do, so he walked on in.

In the middle was a fountain, the type where water shoots out of the ground at random intervals in sudden spurts. He and Momoi had played there as children, and he recalled one time when he had pushed the pink-haired girl so that she fell onto one of the spouts just in time for it to shoot water up and completely drench her pants. She had cried afterwards and he'd gotten a scolding from his mom about it later, but he had to admit he missed those times. The times when they were carefree kids, just having fun and not having to worry about grades or work or the future.

Those bittersweet moments were interrupted when he roughly bumped into someone, too lost in his thoughts to notice. "Sorry," he grunted, still not completely paying attention. It was then he realized that the person standing in front of him was almost the same height as him, a rare occurrence in Japan.

"My bad," the red-haired stranger apologized. He was holding his phone in one hand; a call was still on, from the looks of it. Had he been distracted while talking to whoever was on the other line? Putting the phone back to his ear, the man continued his conversation. "Sorry, about that. Where'd you say to go from here, Kuroko?"

Aomine stopped. Did he just say…Kuroko?

"EH?! I'm on the wrong side of town?! Why didn't you say something earlier?!" he screamed into the receiver. "I'll be way late at this rate! Shit!"

Aomine then did something he never did. Walking up to the red-head, he asked, "Oi, you need help gettin' somewhere?" The stranger looked at Aomine and raised an eyebrow before grudgingly nodding.

"Yeah, I'm trying to get to Seirin University. You know where it is?" he replied, momentarily putting the phone down at his side.

Seirin, huh? Almost definitely Tetsu then. But how did they know each other? "Just follow this path out of the park and onto the street. If you head straight for about 15 minutes, you'll see a Sakura hotel. Make a right and cross the street, and if you keep walking you'll hit Seirin," Aomine said, pointing behind him.

"_Hello? Kagami-kun? Is someone there?_" Kuroko asked on the other side.

Kagami hastily placed the phone back next to his ear. "Ah- yeah, a guy gave me directions. I'll be there in 15!" Hanging up, he slipped his phone into his pocket and ran towards the direction Aomine had gestured. "Thanks!" he called over his shoulder.

Watching the red-head retreat, Aomine continued along his aimless stroll. He didn't even really know what he was doing here, to be perfectly honest. What business did he have at Seirin? Did he go there or something? Reaching into his bag, he grabbed another onigiri to chomp on.

It began drizzling after the stranger left, the misty rain dampening his clothes. He watched as the sidewalk's usual cream color steadily darkened as it soaked up the rain.

Looking back to the path in front of him, Aomine spotted someone in the corner of the park… dancing? It was a girl around his age, but it certainly wasn't breakdancing she was practicing. No, it looked more like… ballet.

He frowned. A ballet dancer in the park? Wouldn't they be more suited to be inside a studio or something? He was headed that way anyway, so as he continued towards her, his view of her became slightly clearer.

…She was even wearing practice clothes, he noted. Black tights with a skin-tight black top, complete with nude-colored pointe shoes. She was spinning continuous pirouettes with a look of complete concentration etched on her face, despite the fact that she was in public. Aomine scoffed. Just what the hell did she think she was doing? Showing off? She was either crazy or stupid to do this in the open… or maybe both.

As he passed by, he couldn't help but stare. Her body certainly moved with the grace of a professional ballerina, and she definitely looked familiar. Where had he seen her before?

Then, in the middle of a jump, she fell. Her leg buckled midair and her body crumpled around it like broken matchsticks. She scowled, recovering quickly and reaching into a bag he hadn't noticed was leaned against a nearby tree, pulling out a phone and flipping it open. Most likely checking the time or for messages, Aomine idly thought to himself as he continued to walk. What he hadn't expected, however was for the girl to let out a strangled cry, throw her backpack halfway on, and sprint straight towards him cursing under her breath.

"Waah!" Aomine exclaimed as he stepped back just in time to avoid a collision with the girl, and it was when she passed by him he realized who she was.

It was Michiko Saki. But what was she doing practicing in a park?

Aomine felt a drop on his head, and then another, and then multiple. Soon enough, it was pouring. "Shit!" he growled, running back to his place.

-x-

When Saki arrived at the photo shoot, she was sopping wet and out of breath. "S… sorry I'm… late," she gasped, tossing her bag to the side and collapsing into a chair nearby.

"Saki-cchi! You're completely drenched!" an overzealous Kise said worriedly as he grabbed a towel and headed over to her. He made a move to dry off her hair for her, but instead she snatched the towel out of his hand.

"Thank you, Ryouta," she said tersely as she began rubbing her hair. "I can do it myself."

The blond pouted. "Where were you, Saki-cchi? I thought you were in the studio."

The girl didn't miss a beat in replying. "I was," she lied smoothly. "I forgot my wallet at home, so I couldn't take the train and had to run here. Clearly, it started raining on my way."

"Michiko-san!" a woman in her mid-thirties squeaked as she came running up to the ballerina. "What are you doing just sitting here?! Your photo shoot starts in 30 minutes; we have to get you ready! Your hair is a mess, and don't even get me started on makeup!" She twitted. Immediately, Saki was jerked from her chair and dragged into the fitting room, a sour look on her face. Kise smiled at the image; her stylist was always a nervous wreck, but she did a good job preparing Saki for her shoots.

But it was just as her stylist dragged Saki through the doors that Kise caught a glimpse of Saki's bare legs. He frowned. Had she lost some weight? She looked a bit thinner than usual… but maybe he was just imagining things. She did say she was going on a diet for her next production, after all.

Satisfied with his deduction, Kise nodded to himself and began to busy himself for the photo shoot. It was his first joint shoot with Saki so he wanted to do a good job. Heading into his own room, his own stylist fussed over him before going to work.

-x-

When Kagami arrived at Seirin, he was more than 40 minutes late; he'd gotten lost after getting directions from the blue-haired stranger again. By then, practice had already started and the gym was bustling with music from stereos and the squeak of shoes against the floor.

Searching for the person he was supposed to meet, he was taken aback when Kuroko appeared in front of him out of nowhere. "You're late, Kagami-kun," he said simply.

Kagami took a step back in surprise before responding, "I know, I know! Sorry. Can I start yet?" He shook his head like a dog, spraying water everywhere – he'd gotten caught in the sudden downpour.

"Before you do anything else though, you should change," came a female voice to his left. He turned to see a girl with short brown hair, her bangs clipped back, wearing a green tank top and matching sports shorts. "Welcome to Seirin!" she grinned, holding out her hand in a handshake. "I'm Riko Aida, the coach. Kuroko here told me all about you." Kuroko nodded mutely beside her. Kagami raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He was going to be coached by a girl? Sure there were b-girls in the field, but he didn't usually see many… "Now take off your shirt."


	5. Chapter 5

Wow, many apologies for taking so long to update. I'm great at starting fics but terrible at continuing and (god forbid) ending them, unfortunately. I'm going to try my best to trudge on with this one, though! Thank you so so so much for your continued support. I'd like to thank Azusa Inoue, Rasielis, hitomi65, Kaneyi Unomie, animefan106, Ern Estine 13624, lostonearth, and Sylvia-san for reviewing. I hope this chapter is a bit more exciting for you guys :) Please review!

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Chapter 5

Kise sighed as he twisted the cap of his water bottle open, tilting his head back and he easily downed half the bottle. For some reason, the air conditioning had suddenly broken down in the middle of his shoot, so the temperatures were quickly creeping up. He wiped the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead on the back of his hand, licking his dry lips.

Today's shoot was a fairly straightforward one – just for a popular magazine advertising next season's new trends. He had on a loose beige cardigan that had one button buttoned in the middle, with a plain black v-neck inside. A silver cross chain hung down his front to end right below the bottom of his v-neck, and he paired the look with slightly sagging black jeans, a silver belt looping around his waist. The fact that today's look was geared towards autumn was doing nothing to help the ridiculous heat, and the blond was about to take another swig of his water when his photographer called him back over to continue the shoot.

"Coming!" Kise replied enthusiastically as ever, placing his water bottle back down and jogging over to the familiar blindingly bright lights and omnipresent camera. The sooner he got this shoot done, the better.

By the end, Kise had to admit he was probably sweating almost as much as he does after an intense breaking session. (Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration.) Even his dressing room was hot! Sighing, he peeled off the clothes he'd been leant for the day (which were now damp) and reached for his clothes. He pulled a plain white V-neck t-shirt with a black ampersand on the front over his head before putting on a pair of trendy green skinny jeans.

He was glad to find out that the hallways were still air-conditioned and collapsed on a bench outside the studio he was just shooting in. Placed directly in front of the glass walls near the front entrance, they gave a perfect view of the bustling streets of Tokyo.

Idly, he leaned his head back and let it hang over the edge of the bench. _What should I get for dinner later? _He pondered to himself. It was nearing 5pm and he hadn't eaten since the morning, as the photo shoot had taken longer than he'd anticipated.

"Boo," he heard a soft voice near his ear. Startled, he sat straight up and turned around to see a grinning Saki behind him, bent over at the waist to face him at eye level. "Yo!" She greeted, holding a hand up in a mock wave.

Kise was about to say something when she drew closer to him and took a dramatic sniff of his shoulder. She wrinkled her nose, saying, "Eww! You stink of sweat, Ryouta!" Kise's face flushed in embarrassment. He knew she was just kidding around, but it still hurt to hear someone actually comment on it.

"I couldn't help it!" He pouted, turning fully around and laying his arms across the top of the bench. "The air-con stopped working in the middle of the shoot. It must've been at least 37 C in there!"

The ballerina rolled her eyes. "Excuses, excuses. It broke in my studio too, but do you see me complaining?" She said, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. Her hair was up in a messy bun – she must've just tied it up after her shoot with no regard to how it looked.

The blond also noticed that she had changed into her practice clothes. "Are you going back to the studio soon?" He questioned.

"Hmm?" She responded, distracted. She had been fiddling with something in her bag. "Ah, yeah. I figured since it was still early I'd head back for a few hours after I grab dinner." Tapping a finger to her lips, she then suggested, "Hey, since we're both here, you haven't eaten dinner yet either, right? Wanna grab something together? My treat," she offered. "And there's this new guy who just joined the troupe recently that I wanted to talk to you about! I forgot his name though… what was it again? Mi-something? Misaki? Minami? He has the funniest green hair and the driest attitude you'll ever encounter…"

Green hair and a dry attitude… it definitely sounded like a certain former teammate he knew. It couldn't be… "Midorima?" Kise probed curiously.

She snapped her fingers in realization. "Ah! Yes! Him! He joined last week, but _damn_ is he good! His technique is definitely spot-on. Our leader even said something about letting him join the production as an extra if he kept up the good work…"

"Ehhhh?!" Midorima danced ballet?! Since when?!

-x-

Well, Riko had to admit she was surprised when Kagami took his shirt off without voicing any opposition to the idea. She supposed it (sort of? Maybe?) made sense since it was sopping wet from him running in the rain, but she'd still expected a _bit_ more hesitation…

Mm, Riko definitely appreciated the view of his nicely-sculpted body that was presented to her after he took off his shirt. But rather than his defined abs, she was more interested in the potential of his body in terms of breakdancing.

She was certainly impressed. His arms definitely proved he could pull off freezes and any other upper-body moves with probable ease, and same went for his legs and lower-body moves. Actually, he had some ridiculously high potential to be an all-around fantastic break dancer. But there was something missing and she couldn't quite pinpoint it…

"Err, can I put my shirt back on yet?" Kagami asked uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other as he stood still under the coach's scrutinizing gaze. Frankly, he felt like a piece of meat being examined for its quality by a prime butcher.

Riko snapped out of her trance. "Ah, yes! Kuroko, can you grab a spare shirt?" Riko chirped to the blue-haired teen. He nodded mutely before jogging off. "Anyway, you know your body is simply _amazing!_" Riko gushed to Kagami, her eyes sparkling. "I don't think I've seen so much dormant talent in someone! Can you dance for me? Right now?"

Kagami gave the girl a weird look. Who was she to judge his capabilities? "Err… right now? To no music?" He asked awkwardly, looking around the gym to avoid her avid gaze.

She put on a thoughtful look, tapping her foot while thinking. "Hmm, yeah, we'll put some music on. Actually, why don't you try dancing with Kuroko? You haven't seen him dance before, right?"

The red-head's eyebrows rose. His interest was now definitely piqued. It was true that he had never seen Kuroko breakdance before, and he had been curious as to how exactly the guy danced with such a fragile-looking body.

A t-shirt was handed to him from the side, and with a grunt he muttered a thanks and pulled it over his head. It was a bit tight on him, but it fit alright for now. Kuroko also had a stereo in his free hand, which he now set down near him, pressing play to start the music. Familiar beats echoed throughout the gym and Riko watched as Kagami cracked his neck from side to side like it was something he did every day and grinned before throwing himself into the dancing.

He could feel a calm rush over him as his body began to move on its own to the rhythm. Kagami loved dancing – it was his high, his drug, his addiction. Every time he danced it was as though something possessed him, like he no longer had any control over how his body moved. He never knew what move he was going to do next or what he trick he might attempt the next time he danced, and he lived for that unpredictability.

But then when Kuroko was suddenly thrown into the fray, his head did a double take and he almost fumbled. This style… what the hell was this?!

It wasn't breakdancing. No, it was similar, but… not quite? Kagami couldn't put his finger on it. As he switched into an air flare, he watched the blue-haired dancer out of the corner of his eye and he was amazed. Kuroko wasn't breakdancing, yet it still seemed so natural, so _right. _It didn't seem to be as physically demanding as breakdancing, as there didn't seem to be many – or any, in fact – moments where Kuroko was on the floor doing freezes or other similar moves that required upper-body strength. It was smooth and mostly fancy footwork with fluid arm motions that complemented the lower-body.

Finally when the music stopped, Kagami finished with a head spin and sat down with his legs sprawled across the floor. Panting, he lifted the front of his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his face as he said, "You… just what kind of style were you doing?"

"It's hip-hop," Riko answered smugly. "He's our secret weapon. Usually we pair him up with another break dancer in group or pair competitions and it works out well, since his style clashes with breakdancing so much. It ends up acting as a nice contrast and a lot of judges like it since it's different."

Huh. Hip-hop? That definitely wasn't what Kagami was expecting. He watched as Kuroko similarly pulled up his shirt to pat off the excess moisture on his face, wondering how such a person like him had stumbled upon such a unique style of dancing. He had never heard of someone mixing hip-hop with break dancing before. As Riko rambled and gushed about how Kuroko fit perfectly as a phantom member and etcetera, Kagami took the chance to check his phone.

Was it already that late? He definitely hadn't been here that long. He needed to go grocery shopping for dinner still – he hadn't planned on staying here for more than an hour or so…

So he grunted, "Hey, I gotta run." Riko suddenly stopped mid-sentence, walking straight up to the tall red-head and poking him in the middle of the chest. He backed up instinctively, giving her a strange look. Just what was she doing so close to him?!

"So you're joining, right?" She demanded. "You better join! You're so good! You'd be such a good addition to our crew!" She continued. "And look, even Kuroko wants you to join!" Riko yanked Kuroko by the shoulder to her side, and the poor man looked like he wanted to run far away from their current location.

However, he was surprised to see Kuroko then look at Kagami with equally resolute eyes. "She's right," Kuroko said. "You're quite good, Kagami-kun. You should join us."

Kagami frowned. He hadn't actually been thinking about joining a crew. He just wanted to find a play where he could dance freely and Kuroko had given him that opportunity. Well, joining couldn't be that bad, right? It'd just be like dancing on the streets in America all over again.

"…Alright," he conceded.

Riko grinned and pumped her fist into the air. "Yesss!" she exclaimed. "A new member! I'll make sure you meet the rest of the guys next time – they're out right now, there was dance-off that they all wanted to see so they're in Sapporo for the week…"

As Kagami gathered his things, he noticed that the rain that had been pouring sheets earlier had now stopped. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he thought about his new future with Seirin. A crew, huh.


	6. Chapter 6

DID I JUST UPDATE WITHIN THE MONTH? I JUST DID. YES. Holy shit. I literally opened the doc last night having no idea what I was going to write and ended up with this bad boy by the end of today. Talk about a miracle. Many thanks to Azusa Inoue, hitomi65, ElenaLionward07, Kaneyi Unomie, and Ern Estine 13624 for reviewing. But only five reviews, guys? Wahh :( you've all spoiled me by giving me 7-8 per chapter in the past!

A few notes: I know next to nothing about ballet, so please forgive me if I'm using terms incorrectly or whatnot. Feel free to correct me and tell me how to use them appropriately. Sorry for the brevity of the chapter, but hey, it's a faster update? :) Please review, I love to know what you guys think of every new chapter!

BREAK  
Chapter 6

A certain green-haired dancer panted, grabbing a towel that was draped on a nearby chair to wipe the sweat that had accumulated on his body. He took off his glasses and wiped them off on the same towel for what must have been the 30th time that day; he hated how they got fogged up every time he practiced, but he refused to get contact lenses. After taking a swig from his oversized water bottle which was now unpleasantly warm, he walked back to the middle of the hardwood floor room and continued his routine.

He was performing Bravura to an invisible audience, with silence as his music and the mirrored walls his stage. His Boureé was quick and smooth, and if one wasn't looking carefully they might have thought he was being suspended on string, for the movements were so fluid. He transitioned effortlessly into a pas de chat, extending his arms out sideways and bending both his legs before going into a light leap, bringing his feet up and knees apart. The adagio tempo continued for a while as he danced a pas de deux alone. Normally one would have a partner for this part, but he had decided that he would simply practice alone as he clearly did not have someone to dance with at the moment. Jumping up, he performed a tour en l'air before landing lightly on the tips of his toes, going back into basic pointe. This continued for a while, and as he finished his solo, he found that his glasses had once again fogged up. Damned things. Maybe he should invest in some anti-fog glass, if there even were such a thing.

As he went to wipe the excess moisture from his glasses once more, he looked out the window and noticed that it was getting dark. _Grrrowl. _He hadn't eaten dinner yet, he suddenly remembered. It was a good thing that no one was around. However, it was then that he heard a muffled buzzing coming from inside his bag. Reaching in, he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Shintarou. Are you done with your rehearsal for the day? Shall we meet at our appointed place?" A clipped, sharp tone asked from the other side. He grimaced. He had wanted to stay and run through it a few more times before heading out, but it was rather hard – no, impossible to refuse _him_…

Shifting the phone from one side to the other, he held it in place between his shoulder and ear. "Yes, I'll be there in an hour," he replied compliantly, rubbing his glasses with the damp cloth. Afterwards, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, gently massaging the area. He scowled as he could feel a headache coming on.

"Good. I'll see you then." _Click._

-x-

No matter how many times Kise went out with Saki, he wasn't sure he would ever get used to watching her eat. She always ate like she was starving, shoving everything into her mouth and eating way more than a normal girl usually ate. Of course, she always attributed it to her having tiny meals during the months of rehearsal and how she just worked it off afterwards anyway, but it was still a shocker to see.

Today was no different. The blond model wasn't sure what he was expecting (maybe something more… high-class?), but Saki had taken them to a local _izakaya_ and ordered a large order of gyudon; she was currently inhaling the beef bowl at an alarming pace. Kise, on the other hand, had settled for a simple order of grilled salmon and miso. He felt like their meals should have been swapped…

"So, Ryouta," Saki said through a mouthful of food. "Are you gonna go to that party next week?" She had picked the bowl up in her left hand and her chopsticks in her right, and as soon as she was done talking she continued pushing more food into her mouth. Pieces of rice stuck to her cheek, which she periodically wiped off with her napkin.

Kise grinned confidently. "Of course I'm going, Saki-cchi!" he said. "Are you?" The agency that the two modeled for was hosting a grand gala promoting a new clothing line that had just opened; all models were expected to attend and it was supposed to be a high-profile ball, with starlets and celebrities attending. Of course, the media was going to be there as well, detailing the whole event from start to finish.

She gulped. "Mhmm. I'm taking Takashi with me, even though he's told me at least ten times he doesn't want to go." She smiled devilishly. "He hates dressing up, but I'm gonna make sure he looks like a million dollars at that soiree," she said smugly.

For some reason, Kise felt a twinge of annoyance at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "Ah, I'm sure Takashi-cchi can't be that unwilling," he responded, playing along. "After all, he's got such a pretty girlfriend like Saki-cchi accompanying him!"

Natsukawa Takashi was a rising ballet dancer like Saki; they'd met overseas while she was studying at the Royal Ballet School in London. Apparently, according to Saki, they'd really "hit it off" since she was one of the few Japanese dancers in the school of mostly Caucasian students. As Takashi was part of the minority as well, they'd naturally been drawn to each other.

Takashi was about a year older than Saki, and the total opposite as well. He was quiet and kept mostly to himself, shy and demure. He talked in a low voice and rarely laughed, giving a small smile in bashful response most of the time. Despite his low-key personality though, he was tall and well-built – at least 5'11, with a body to rival a basketball player's. Kise had only met him once, and he had to admit he didn't like him even though there really was nothing to dislike about the guy.

"Thanks for the food!" Saki said gleefully as she placed her bowl down on the table and clapped her hands together. Kise was only halfway done with his food and suddenly felt quite effeminate, as though his masculinity had been stripped away by this model-ballerina sitting across the table from him. "Oh, by the way, did you wanna stop by the studio on the way back? Maybe Midorima will still be there!"

"Midorima-cchi?" Kise echoed. He didn't think he was going to run into another person from his past so soon after Kuroko, but he supposed it wouldn't be that bad just to catch up with his green-haired former crew member… right? "…Yeah, okay," he conceded. "After I finish dinner."

-x-

Aomine came back to his apartment to find a sullen looking Momoi standing outside his apartment, holding a bag of groceries. "Dai-chaaaaaaan!" The pink-haired girl cried, running up to her childhood friend. "You meanie! Where have you been? And after I came out of my way to get food for us to eat too," she pouted. She wore her signature green hoodie, draped over a white v-neck t-shirt matched with a pair of jean shorts that were tattered at the ends.

He scoffed. "If I ate anything you made, I'd wind up in the hospital," he grumbled, pulling his keys from his pocket and unlocking the door. It swung forward with a creak and Momoi entered without another word from the blue-haired dancer. "Tch," he grumbled, though he grudgingly let her in. "I already said I was busy, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but I know you were lying," Momoi said offhandedly. She slipped her shoes off at the door, stepping onto the cold tile floors. "Most of your time is spent watching TV at home anyway, or wandering the streets. I figured I'd have a pretty good chance of catching you here if I waited long enough." Damn it.

Shrugging his jacket off, he draped it over the nearest chair haphazardly. "Well, you found me," he said exasperatedly. "So can you shove off already? I already got food from the convenience store."

The pink-haired girl placed her shopping bags on the nearby dining table, staring down at her groceries for a bit. She played with the plastic for a bit, twirling the makeshift handles in her fingers. "Neh, Dai-chan," she started softly. "Do you think… you're going to dance anytime soon?"

"Ahhh?" Aomine grumbled in irritation. "Why the hell are you bringing that up now, Satsuki? I already told you I only dance at competitions. There's no point in _practicing,_" he spat out the word like it was venom.

"But Dai-chan—"

"Because the only one who can beat me is me," he declared. His eyes had suddenly grown cold and lifeless during their short conversation, and Momoi instinctively drew back. "Everyone else is too unskilled, too _weak_ to be challenging me. They're a thousand years too early to try."

Momoi grabbed her right arm with her left hand, sighing. "…Then why do you look so pained while saying that?" she said quietly.

Aomine looked away. He couldn't answer.


End file.
